Kings' crowning 2018 contest offers excitement and ambition

Can Melrose add the prestigious title to their BT Premiership and BT Cup triumphs this season?

Or will Watsonians have it sewn up by the end of their opening game?

The Myreside men need only to win their opening match at Riverside Park to be crowned Kings.

However, with a good few teams at last able to field full-strength line-ups, there are many valid candidates for the actual winner on the day.

Selkirk lifted the prize last weekend in front of their own supporters – and host club Jed-Forest fancy their own chances.

Victory in their own sevens competition would be a great way to round off a season in which they narrowly missed promotion to the BT Premiership.

Jed’s sevens convenor Ross Goodfellow reckoned it was very dificult to forecast the winner on Saturday.

“Melrose will be going out to win,” he said.

“Watsonians will not just want to win the first game – they will want to win the tournament and prove the potin that they are the best sevens team going about.”

Jed’s minds recently had been on possible Premiership status but they had played very well last weekend, added Ross, and were unlucky to be defeated by Watsonians.

“We’ll get training this week, assess our injuries and see who is available,” he said, adding that a similar Jed squad to last week’s was likely.

It was a big day for the club, in terms of guests and catering as well as rugby, and everyone hoped for good weather, good rugby and a good day out for the community.

The first tie is at 1.30pm and the draw is:

Heriots v Hawick

Melrose v Musselburgh

Langholm v Hamiton

Edinburgh Accies v Kelso

Hearts and Balls VII v Peebles

Watsonians v Gala

Jed-Forest v Kirkcaldy

Selkirk v Berwick.